“Leeds were the exact opposite and. ….” England international reveals how he wanted to play for a seemingly BETTER club than Leeds but later ended up playing for Leeds

Nigel Martyn’s Surprising Revelation: How Leeds United Stole Him from Everton

In the summer of 1996, Leeds United made several pivotal signings that shaped the club’s future. One of those signings was goalkeeper Nigel Martyn, who joined from Crystal Palace for a fee exceeding £2 million. Martyn went on to play 265 times for Leeds, becoming a regular in the England squad and earning 23 caps.

However, in a shocking revelation, Martyn revealed that he initially wanted to join Everton, not Leeds. In an interview with Undr The Cosh, Martyn shared the extraordinary story of how Leeds hijacked his proposed move to Goodison Park.

The Unexpected Twist

Martyn recalled driving up the motorway with his agent to sign for Everton, with everything seemingly organized. Joe Royle’s wife was ill, and the chairman was away on business, leaving only the director to finalize the deal.

“My agent said before we say anything, Leeds have matched the bid, it’s in Nigel’s interest to speak to them as well,” Martyn explained. “The director said, ‘oh, well come in.’ He said, ‘well I thought you were coming to sign,’ and we said, ‘well so did we, but this has happened’.”

The director made a call, and Martyn’s agent informed him that Everton was still his preferred destination. However, the director’s response was unexpected.

“He said we have a press conference organized for tomorrow, my agent said Nigel is going to talk to Leeds, but Everton is his preferred destination,” Martyn continued. “The director made another call and said, if you’re going to go, you’ve got to go soon because it’s going to get really busy. It was strange.”

Leeds’ Persuasive Approach

Martyn’s agent advised him to explore Leeds’ offer, and the goalkeeper was impressed by the club’s enthusiasm.

“Leeds were the exact opposite,” Martyn said. “They said, ‘you’re signing for us.’ Leeds really did everything they could. Howard Wilkinson was there, and they made me feel wanted.”

In contrast, Everton’s approach seemed half-hearted.

“Joe Royle wouldn’t have let that happen,” Martyn observed.

A Leeds Legend

Martyn’s decision to join Leeds proved pivotal in the club’s history. He formed a formidable partnership with defender Lucas Radebe and helped Leeds reach the Champions League.

During his time at Elland Road, Martyn kept 105 clean sheets and became an integral part of the England squad.

Emotional Reflections

In a 2021 interview with LeedsUnited.News, Martyn emotionally recalled the tragic events surrounding the 2000-01 UEFA Cup semi-final against Galatasaray.

Two Leeds fans, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, were murdered in Istanbul before the match. Martyn played in the game, but still regrets that decision.

“As I sit here now, with you, it is probably my biggest regret in football that we even played that game,” Martyn said, choked with emotion. “I would rather have forfeited it. Football is probably even more now